Optimizing Multimedia Streaming in Wlans (wireless Local Access Networks) with a Remote Sdn (software-Defined Networking) Controller

1. A computer-implemented method in an access point of a communication network having a remote SDN (Software-Defined Networking) controller for optimizing multimedia downloads at data planes of a plurality of network devices including the access point, the method comprising the steps of: detecting, by a processor of the access point, a new flow concerning a specific multimedia file being downloaded from the access point to a station over a Wi-Fi connection; sending, by network hardware of the access point, one or more packets from the new flow to the SDN controller; receiving, by the access point network hardware from the SDN controller, one or more OpenFlow rules to implement a minimum file size threshold of the new flow responsive to a determination of a characteristic of the specific multimedia file, the one or more OpenFlow rules being implemented at the data plane of the access point; in response to the size of the multimedia file being greater than the minimum file size threshold of the one or more OpenFlow rules set by the SDN controller, adjusting, by the access point processor, the download rate of the new flow at the data plane of the access point responsive to the one or more OpenFlow rules; detecting, by the access point processor, subsequent packets from the new flow at the access point for download to the station; and sending, by the access point network hardware, the subsequent packets to the station responsive to the download rate of the one or more OpenFlow rules.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: sending link information from the data plane concerning one or more routing paths on the communication network that are relevant to the download of the multimedia file, wherein the one or more OpenFlow rules is based on the link information.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the multimedia file comprises an encoding rate of the multimedia file relative to a download rate from the access point to the station.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the multimedia file comprises a playback history of the multimedia file at stations prior to the detection of the new flow.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: dropping some of the subsequent packets to the station without transmission to the station responsive to the OpenFlow rules.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving commands from a Wi-Fi controller concerning maximum file size threshold of the subsequent packets with respect to a control plane of the access point.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the OpenFlow rules affect the download rate of the new flow from the access point to the station, wherein the download rate was initially negotiated at an application layer between the station and a source of the multimedia file.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the OpenFlow rules concern layer 2 routing decisions.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: implementing the one or more OpenFlow rules at the data plane of at least one of the network devices to meet a target download rate.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing source code that, when executed by a processor, performs a method in an access point of a communication network having a remote SDN (Software-Defined Networking) controller for optimizing multimedia downloads at data planes of a plurality of network devices including the access point, the method comprising the steps of: detecting, by a processor of the access point, a new flow concerning a specific multimedia file being downloaded from the access point to a station over a Wi-Fi connection; sending, by network hardware of the access point, one or more packets from the new flow to the SDN controller; receiving, by the access point network hardware from the SDN controller, one or more OpenFlow rules to implement a minimum file size threshold of the new flow responsive to a determination of a characteristic of the specific multimedia file, the one or more OpenFlow rules being implemented at the data plane of the access point; in response to the size of the multimedia file being greater than the minimum file size threshold of the one or more OpenFlow rules set by the SDN controller, adjusting, by the access point processor, the download rate of the new flow at the data plane of the access point responsive to the one or more OpenFlow rules; detecting, by the access point processor, subsequent packets from the new flow at the access point for download to the station; and sending, by the access point network hardware, the subsequent packets to the station responsive to the download rate of the one or more OpenFlow rules.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises: sending link information from the data plane concerning one or more routing paths on the communication network that are relevant to the download of the multimedia file, wherein the one or more OpenFlow rules is based on the link information.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the multimedia file comprises an encoding rate of the multimedia file relative to a download rate from the access point to the station.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the multimedia file comprises a playback history of the multimedia file at stations prior to the detection of the new flow.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises: dropping some of the subsequent packets to the station without transmission to the station responsive to the OpenFlow rules.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises: receiving commands from a Wi-Fi controller concerning maximum file size threshold of the subsequent packets with respect to a control plane of the access point.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the OpenFlow rules affect the download rate of the new flow from the access point to the station, wherein the download rate was initially negotiated at an application layer between the station and a source of the multimedia file.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the OpenFlow rules concern layer 2 routing decisions.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises: implementing the one or more OpenFlow rules at the data plane of at least one of the network devices to meet a target download rate.

19. An access point of a communication network having a remote SDN (Software-Defined Networking) controller for optimizing multimedia downloads at data planes of a plurality of network devices including the access point, the access point comprising: an access point processor; an access point network hardware; and a memory communicatively coupled to both the access point processor and the access point network hardware, wherein the access point processor detects a new flow concerning a specific multimedia file being downloaded from the access point to a station over a Wi-Fi connection; wherein the access point network hardware detects one or more packets from the new flow to the SDN controller, wherein the access point network hardware receives one or more OpenFlow rules from the SDN controller to implement a minimum file size threshold of the new flow responsive to a determination of a characteristic of the specific multimedia file, the one or more OpenFlow rules being implemented at the data plane of the access point, wherein, in response to the size of the multimedia file being greater than the minimum file size threshold of the one or more OpenFlow rules set by the SDN controller, the access point processor adjusts the download rate of the new flow at the data plane of the access point responsive to the one or more OpenFlow rules, wherein the access point processor detects subsequent packets from the new flow at the access point for download to the station, and wherein the access point network hardware sends the subsequent packets to the station responsive to the download rate of the one or more OpenFlow rules.

20. The access point of claim 19 , wherein the access point network hardware sends link information from the data plane concerning one or more routing paths on the communication network that are relevant to the download of the multimedia file, wherein the one or more OpenFlow rules is based on the link information.